Coroner fears doctor shortage risks lives

The coroner has expressed concern South Australia may not have enough doctors to meet demand, forcing practitioners to work into old age and risk people's lives.

Coroner Mark Johns held an inquest into the death of Tracy-Lee Davis, 34, in July 2009 after she had been prescribed an antibiotic to which she was allergic.

The inquest heard her GP Arpad Got, 83, failed to notice a warning about her allergy in her patient notes.

Dr Got was excused from giving evidence because of his fragile mental state, but in a statement said he was not proficient with computers.

"He frankly acknowledged that he was never very proficient on the computer. He acknowledged that it was not his practice to make notes on the computer whilst the patient was in the consulting room," Mr Johns said.

"He said that he failed to observe the entry in Ms Davis' notes which indicated her allergy and that his only explanation is that, contrary to his normal practice, he did not review her notes to look for a reference to allergies and he accepted in an affidavit that his omission had what he described as catastrophic consequences.

"Dr Got said that within days of Ms Davis' death he resigned from the Europa Medical Centre and ceased to practise medicine. His registration as a medical practitioner subsequently lapsed."

Guilt-ridden

Mr Johns said the doctor had been guilt-ridden since the death.

"Dr Got said that Ms Davis' death had a profound effect on his health. He continues to see and receive psychiatric and psychological care," he said.

"Dr Got demonstrated considerable guilt, shame and self-reproach relating to the effect of his treatment on Ms Davis."

The coroner said it was concerning there was such a scarcity of doctors that one could still be practising into his 80s.

"It is concerning that the health system in this country has reached a point where there is such a scarcity of medical practitioners that a doctor can still be practising at the age of 83 years," he said.

"In my view this in itself is a cause for concern and does not reflect well on policies and decisions of previous governments, state and federal, that has led to this shortage of doctors."

Mr Johns recommended the state and federal health ministers investigate whether there were enough doctors in South Australia.

'No shortage'

Health Minister John Hill says he will closely examine the Coroner's findings but denies there is a shortage of doctors in Adelaide.

"I always take the Coroner's recommendations seriously and will of course pass on these comments to the Federal Minister," he said in a written statement.

"As with all GPs, the doctor at the centre of this investigation was a private practitioner and did not work for SA Health.

"There is not a shortage of GPs in Adelaide - the average number of GPs per 100,000 [people] in 2010-11 was 94.6, compared to the national average of 89.5."

Mr Hill also said the state's public health system has a higher proportion of doctors than other states.

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